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Valente R, Alves F, Sousa-Pinto I, Ruivo R, Castro LFC. Functional or Vestigial? The Genomics of the Pineal Gland in Xenarthra. J Mol Evol 2021; 89:565-575. [PMID: 34342686 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-021-10025-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Vestigial organs are historical echoes of past phenotypes. Determining whether a specific organ constitutes a functional or vestigial structure can be a challenging task, given that distinct levels of atrophy may arise between and within lineages. The mammalian pineal gland, an endocrine organ involved in melatonin biorhythmicity, represents a classic example, often yielding contradicting anatomical observations. In Xenarthra (sloths, anteaters, and armadillos), a peculiar mammalian order, the presence of a distinct pineal organ was clearly observed in some species (i.e., Linnaeus's two-toed sloth), but undetected in other closely related species (i.e., brown-throated sloth). In the nine-banded armadillo, contradicting evidence supports either functional or vestigial scenarios. Thus, to untangle the physiological status of the pineal gland in Xenarthra, we used a genomic approach to investigate the evolution of the gene hub responsible for melatonin synthesis and signaling. We show that both synthesis and signaling compartments are eroded and were probably lost independently among Xenarthra orders. Additionally, by expanding our analysis to 157 mammal genomes, we offer a comprehensive view showing that species with very distinctive habitats and lifestyles have convergently evolved a similar phenotype: Cetacea, Pholidota, Dermoptera, Sirenia, and Xenarthra. Our findings suggest that the recurrent inactivation of melatonin genes correlates with pineal atrophy and endorses the use of genomic analyses to ascertain the physiological status of suspected vestigial structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Valente
- CIMAR/CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal.,FCUP-Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (U. Porto), Rua Do Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
| | - Filipe Alves
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARDITI, Madeira, Portugal.,OOM-Oceanic Observatory of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
| | - Isabel Sousa-Pinto
- CIMAR/CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal.,FCUP-Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (U. Porto), Rua Do Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
| | - Raquel Ruivo
- CIMAR/CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - L Filipe C Castro
- CIMAR/CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal. .,FCUP-Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (U. Porto), Rua Do Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal.
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Dependence of nighttime sleep duration in one-month-old infants on alterations in natural and artificial photoperiod. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44749. [PMID: 28303945 PMCID: PMC5355994 DOI: 10.1038/srep44749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human sleep–wake cycles are entrained by both natural and artificial light–dark cycles. However, little is known regarding when and how the photoperiod changes entrain the biological clock after conception. To investigate the dependence of sleep patterns in young infants on the natural and artificial light–dark cycles, 1,302 pairs of one-month-old infants and their mothers were asked to answer a questionnaire. Birth in spring, longer daytime sleep duration, early/regular light-off times, and longer maternal nighttime sleep duration were identified as independent variables for longer infant nighttime sleep duration in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Longer maternal nighttime sleep duration was dependent on shorter naps and early/regular bed times but not on the season. We found that nighttime sleep duration depended on both natural and artificial diurnal photoperiod changes in one-month-old infants. Although sleep patterns of infants mimicked those of their mothers, nighttime sleep duration depended on the season, and was positively associated with daytime sleep duration, only in the infants. These specific variables, which render sleep patterns of the infants different from those of their mothers, might be a clue to reveal the covert acquisition process of mature circadian rhythms after birth.
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Reiter RJ, Mayo JC, Tan DX, Sainz RM, Alatorre-Jimenez M, Qin L. Melatonin as an antioxidant: under promises but over delivers. J Pineal Res 2016; 61:253-78. [PMID: 27500468 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 994] [Impact Index Per Article: 124.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Melatonin is uncommonly effective in reducing oxidative stress under a remarkably large number of circumstances. It achieves this action via a variety of means: direct detoxification of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species and indirectly by stimulating antioxidant enzymes while suppressing the activity of pro-oxidant enzymes. In addition to these well-described actions, melatonin also reportedly chelates transition metals, which are involved in the Fenton/Haber-Weiss reactions; in doing so, melatonin reduces the formation of the devastatingly toxic hydroxyl radical resulting in the reduction of oxidative stress. Melatonin's ubiquitous but unequal intracellular distribution, including its high concentrations in mitochondria, likely aid in its capacity to resist oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis. There is credible evidence to suggest that melatonin should be classified as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant. Melatonin's capacity to prevent oxidative damage and the associated physiological debilitation is well documented in numerous experimental ischemia/reperfusion (hypoxia/reoxygenation) studies especially in the brain (stroke) and in the heart (heart attack). Melatonin, via its antiradical mechanisms, also reduces the toxicity of noxious prescription drugs and of methamphetamine, a drug of abuse. Experimental findings also indicate that melatonin renders treatment-resistant cancers sensitive to various therapeutic agents and may be useful, due to its multiple antioxidant actions, in especially delaying and perhaps treating a variety of age-related diseases and dehumanizing conditions. Melatonin has been effectively used to combat oxidative stress, inflammation and cellular apoptosis and to restore tissue function in a number of human trials; its efficacy supports its more extensive use in a wider variety of human studies. The uncommonly high-safety profile of melatonin also bolsters this conclusion. It is the current feeling of the authors that, in view of the widely diverse beneficial functions that have been reported for melatonin, these may be merely epiphenomena of the more fundamental, yet-to-be identified basic action(s) of this ancient molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russel J Reiter
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Juan C Mayo
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Dun-Xian Tan
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Rosa M Sainz
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Moises Alatorre-Jimenez
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Lilian Qin
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Cruz MHC, Leal CLV, da Cruz JF, Tan DX, Reiter RJ. Role of melatonin on production and preservation of gametes and embryos: a brief review. Anim Reprod Sci 2014; 145:150-60. [PMID: 24559971 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2014.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this brief review is to clarify the role of melatonin in the production and preservation of mammalian gametes and embryos. Melatonin is an indoleamine synthesized from tryptophan in the pineal gland and other organs that operates as a hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis modulator and regulates the waxing and waning of seasonal reproductive competence in photoperiodic mammals. A major function of the melatonin rhythm is to transmit information about the length of the daily photoperiod to the circadian and circannual systems in order to provide time-of-day and time-of-year information, respectively, to the organism. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant and anti-apoptotic agent, which is due to its direct scavenging of toxic oxygen derivatives and its ability to reduce the formation of reactive species. Mammalian gametes and embryos are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress due to the presence of high lipid levels; during artificial breeding procedures, these structures are exposed to dramatic changes in the microenvironment, which have a direct bearing on their function and viability. Free radicals influence the balance between oxidation-reduction reactions, disturb the transbilayer-phospholipid asymmetry of the plasma membrane and enhance lipid peroxidation. Melatonin, due to its amphiphilic nature, is undoubtedly useful in tissues by protecting them from free radical-mediated oxidative damage and cellular death. The supplementation of melatonin to semen extender or culture medium significantly improves sperm viability, oocyte competence and blastocyst development in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Helena Coelho Cruz
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, USP, 13635-900 Pirassununga SP, Brazil.
| | - Claudia Lima Verde Leal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, USP, 13635-900 Pirassununga SP, Brazil
| | - Jurandir Ferreira da Cruz
- Department of Plant Science and Animal Science, Southwest Bahia State University, UESB, 45083-900 Vitória da Conquista BA, Brazil
| | - Dun-Xian Tan
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Russel J Reiter
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Comai S, Gobbi G. Unveiling the role of melatonin MT2 receptors in sleep, anxiety and other neuropsychiatric diseases: a novel target in psychopharmacology. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2014; 39:6-21. [PMID: 23971978 PMCID: PMC3868666 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.130009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melatonin (MLT) is a pleiotropic neurohormone controlling many physiological processes and whose dysfunction may contribute to several different diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, circadian and mood disorders, insomnia, type 2 diabetes and pain. Melatonin is synthesized by the pineal gland during the night and acts through 2 G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), MT1 (MEL1a) and MT2 (MEL1b). Although a bulk of research has examined the physiopathological effects of MLT, few studies have investigated the selective role played by MT1 and MT2 receptors. Here we have reviewed current knowledge about the implications of MT2 receptors in brain functions. METHODS We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and articles' reference lists for studies on MT2 receptor ligands in sleep, anxiety, neuropsychiatric diseases and psychopharmacology, including genetic studies on the MTNR1B gene, which encodes the melatonin MT2 receptor. RESULTS These studies demonstrate that MT2 receptors are involved in the pathophysiology and pharmacology of sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer disease and pain and that selective MT2 receptor agonists show hypnotic and anxiolytic properties. LIMITATIONS Studies examining the role of MT2 receptors in psychopharmacology are still limited. CONCLUSION The development of novel selective MT2 receptor ligands, together with further preclinical in vivo studies, may clarify the role of this receptor in brain function and psychopharmacology. The superfamily of GPCRs has proven to be among the most successful drug targets and, consequently, MT2 receptors have great potential for pioneer drug discovery in the treatment of mental diseases for which limited therapeutic targets are currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriella Gobbi
- Correspondence to: G. Gobbi, Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Ave. W, room 220, Montréal QC H3A 1A1;
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Reiter RJ, Tan DX, Korkmaz A, Rosales-Corral SA. Melatonin and stable circadian rhythms optimize maternal, placental and fetal physiology. Hum Reprod Update 2013; 20:293-307. [DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmt054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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Turgut AT, Karakaş HM, Ozsunar Y, Altın L, Ceken K, Alıcıoğlu B, Sönmez I, Alparslan A, Yürümez B, Celik T, Kazak E, Geyik PÖ, Koşar U. Age-related changes in the incidence of pineal gland calcification in Turkey: A prospective multicenter CT study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 15:41-8. [PMID: 18420391 DOI: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2008.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2008] [Revised: 02/24/2008] [Accepted: 02/24/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this cross-sectional observational study was to determine the incidence of pineal gland calcification (PGC), to investigate the interaction of PGC and aging, and to compare the incidence of PGC among the populations living in Turkey. In a prospective study the rate of PGC on CT scans of 1376 individuals in six referral centers from different regions of Turkey was investigated, with emphasis on effects of climatological parameters and aging on PGC. It was found that the incidence of PGC increased rapidly after first decade and the increase remains gradual thereafter, higher in males than in females for all age groups. There was a significant difference for incidence and degree of PGC between different clinics and between both sexes (p<0.001). In addition, there was a significant difference for the degree of PGC between the clinics in low altitude group and those in high altitude group (p<0.001 for each). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, sex, altitude and intensity of sunlight exposure significantly affected the risk of PGC (odds ratios (OR) 1.335, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.261-1.414, p<0.001; OR 1.900, 95% CI 1.486-2.428, p<0.001; OR 0.715, 95% CI 0.517-0.990, p<0.05; OR 0.997, 95% CI 0.994-0.999, p<0.01, respectively). Furthermore, by multiple linear regression analysis, high altitude and increased intensity of sunlight exposure were found to affect the degree of PGC (beta=0.003, p<0.001). It is concluded that there is a close relationship between PGC and the aforementioned parameters, supporting a link between the development of PGC and these. This study provides some reference data for new clinical studies on the putative role of pineal gland in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Tuncay Turgut
- Department of Radiology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
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Reiter RJ, Paredes SD, Manchester LC, Tan DX. Reducing oxidative/nitrosative stress: a newly-discovered genre for melatonin. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2009; 44:175-200. [PMID: 19635037 DOI: 10.1080/10409230903044914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 363] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of melatonin and its derivatives as antioxidants has stimulated a very large number of studies which have, virtually uniformly, documented the ability of these molecules to detoxify harmful reactants and reduce molecular damage. These observations have clear clinical implications given that numerous age-related diseases in humans have an important free radical component. Moreover, a major theory to explain the processes of aging invokes radicals and their derivatives as causative agents. These conditions, coupled with the loss of melatonin as organisms age, suggest that some diseases and some aspects of aging may be aggravated by the diminished melatonin levels in advanced age. Another corollary of this is that the administration of melatonin, which has an uncommonly low toxicity profile, could theoretically defer the progression of some diseases and possibly forestall signs of aging. Certainly, research in the next decade will help to define the role of melatonin in age-related diseases and in determining successful aging. While increasing life span will not necessarily be a goal of these investigative efforts, improving health and the quality of life in the aged should be an aim of this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russel J Reiter
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Reiter RJ, Tan DX, Manchester LC, Paredes SD, Mayo JC, Sainz RM. Melatonin and reproduction revisited. Biol Reprod 2009; 81:445-56. [PMID: 19439728 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.108.075655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This brief review summarizes new findings related to the reported beneficial effects of melatonin on reproductive physiology beyond its now well-known role in determining the sexual status in both long-day and short-day seasonally breeding mammals. Of particular note are those reproductive processes that have been shown to benefit from the ability of melatonin to function in the reduction of oxidative stress. In the few species that have been tested, brightly colored secondary sexual characteristics that serve as a sexual attractant reportedly are enhanced by melatonin administration. This is of potential importance inasmuch as the brightness of ornamental pigmentation is also associated with animals that are of the highest genetic quality. Free radical damage is commonplace during pregnancy and has negative effects on the mother, placenta, and fetus. Because of its ability to readily pass through the placenta, melatonin easily protects the fetus from oxidative damage, as well as the maternal tissues and placenta. Examples of conditions in which oxidative and nitrosative stress can be extensive during pregnancy include preeclampsia and damage resulting from anoxia or hypoxia that is followed by reflow of oxygenated blood into the tissue. Given the uncommonly low toxicity of melatonin, clinical trials are warranted to document the protection by melatonin against pathophysiological states of the reproductive system in which free radical damage is known to occur. Finally, the beneficial effects of melatonin in improving the outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer should be further tested and exploited. The information in this article has applicability to human and veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russel J Reiter
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
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Maitra SK, Dey M. Cytologic variation in the pineal organ of roseringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri) with respect to artificial photoperiods and annual cyclicity in testicular functions. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2008. [DOI: 10.1080/09291019409360277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saumen Kumar Maitra
- a Department of Zoology , University of Burdwan , Golapbag, Burdwan, 713 104, India
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Kappers JA. The Pineal Organ: An Introduction. CIBA FOUNDATION SYMPOSIUM - THE PINEAL GLAND 2008. [DOI: 10.1002/9780470715376.ch2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Abstract
The avian pineal organ represents a transitional type between a photosensory organ of lower vertebrates and the endocrine gland of mammals and shows remarkable changes in its innervation and structure during ontogeny. In the avian pineal organ the progressive reduction of the pinealofugal component and the spectacular increase in pinealopetal sympathetic innervation occur in parallel. In domestic fowl the number of intrapineal AChE-positive (afferent) neurons decreases rapidly during ontogenetic development, whereas the sympathetic innervation becomes more prominent. Furthermore, the end vesicle of the pineal organ is an anatomical entity fully separated from the brain in the adult domestic fowl, as observed in some mammalian pineals. The avian pineal organ contains several types of photoreceptors with different photopigments and the synthesis of melatonin, the pineal hormone, is controlled by light. Immunoreactivity for photopigments is reduced during the posthatching development of chicken, whereas neuron-specific enolase (NSE)-immunoreactive pinealocytes increase remarkably in number in the end-vesicle of the domestic fowl with age, followed by a gradual expansion toward the proximal portion. NSE is the most acidic isoenzyme of the glycolytic enzyme enolase and is useful as a cytoplasmic marker of neurons and neuroendocrine tissue. The above-mentioned findings reflect the sequence of changes leading from pineal sense organs to pineal gland. The demonstration of melatonin receptors in a variety of avian peripheral tissues suggest a possible direct action of melatonin on the physiological functions of different organ systems in response to internal and external stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Sato
- Department of Anatomy (Division II), School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, 2-1-3 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan.
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Grechez-Cassiau A, Grève P, Guerlotté J, Collin JP, Voisin P. Hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase gene expression in the pineal gland of chicken embryo: development of messenger RNA levels and regulation by serum. BRAIN RESEARCH. DEVELOPMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH 1995; 88:204-11. [PMID: 8665667 DOI: 10.1016/0165-3806(95)00104-l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT), the enzyme which catalyzes the final step of melatonin biosynthesis, constitutes a marker of the functional differentiation of pineal cells. In addition, a day/night rhythm of HIOMT mRNA concentration, previously described in the chicken pineal gland [6], would suggest that HIOMT gene transcription is one output of the circadian system that controls pineal function. The study sought to monitor the developmental expression of HIOMT mRNA in the chick pineal gland and to investigate a possible role of instructive signals in this differentiation process. RT-PCR analysis indicated that HIOMT mRNA is expressed at embryonic day 8 (E8). At E12, HIOMT mRNA became detectable on northern blots and traces of HIOMT activity could be measured. HIOMT mRNA concentration increased 100-fold between E14 and day 10 post-hatch, then levelled off. A day/night rhythm of HIOMT mRNA concentration was readily observed in the pineal gland of 2-day-old chicks. Pineal glands isolated on minimum culture medium at E11 stopped developing HIOMT gene expression. However, the addition of serum to the culture medium restored HIOMT mRNA concentration to the levels observed in vivo. The data suggest that the functional differentiation of melatoninergic cells observed during the second week of embryonic life may be controlled [correction of controled] by serum factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Grechez-Cassiau
- Laboratoire de Neuroendocrinologie Cellulaire, URA CNRS 1869, Poitiers, France
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Sato T, Kaneko M, Ekataksin W, Wake K. Expression of neuron-specific enolase in the pineal organ of the domestic fowl during post-hatching development. Cell Tissue Res 1995; 279:25-36. [PMID: 7895261 DOI: 10.1007/bf00300688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Immunohistochemistry for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) revealed that NSE is localized in both a limited number of pinealocytes and intrinsic afferent neurons in the pineal organ of the domestic fowl. Furthermore, a computer-assisted three-dimensional imaging technique allowed to clarify the reverse distributional pattern of both elements: NSE-positive pinealocytes displayed a dense distribution especially in the vesicular portion of the gland, whereas NSE-immunoreactive nerve cells were mainly found in the pineal stalk. The number of NSE-positive intrinsic neurons in the pineal organ of chickens decreased rapidly after hatching, with a concentration of these elements in the basal portion (stalk) of the pineal organ. On the other hand, immunoreactive pinealocytes increased remarkably in the end-vesicle of the organ with age, followed by a gradual expansion toward the proximal portion. Thus, the spectacular increase in NSE-positive pinealocytes and the progressive reduction of reactive neurons occurred in parallel during the course of post-hatching development. NSE-immunoreactive pinealocytes displayed morphological characteristics of bipolar elements, endowed with an apical protrusion into the pineal lumen and a short basal process at younger stages, whereas multipolar types of NSE-positive pinealocytes were predominantly found in the adult domestic fowl. These results indicate that in the pineal organ of the domestic fowl (1) the ontogenetic expansion of NSE-immunoreactive pinealocytes is paralleled by a regressive afferent innervation, (2) the NSE-positive pinealocytes transform from a bipolar (columnar) type to a multipolar type during post-hatching development, and (3) these ontogenetic changes in the NSE-immunoreactivity and morphology of pinealocytes may reflect the development of a neurosecretory-like capacity of the organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Sato
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
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Bernard M, Guerlotte J, Cogne M, Greve P, Collin JP, Voisin P. Transcriptional regulation of hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase in the chicken pineal gland: day/night changes and long-term effects of light and darkness. Biochem J 1993; 290 ( Pt 3):661-4. [PMID: 8457192 PMCID: PMC1132331 DOI: 10.1042/bj2900661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The indolic hormone melatonin is produced by the pineal gland according to a daily rhythm. The terminal step of melatonin synthesis is catalysed by hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase (HIOMT, EC 2.1.1.4). Adaptation to constant light or darkness modifies HIOMT activity and concentration. Using a cDNA probe encoding HIOMT, we investigated the effect of environmental lighting on HIOMT gene expression in the chicken pineal gland. HIOMT mRNA levels increased by 100% in constant light as compared with constant darkness. In addition, the present study disclosed the existence of a day/night rhythm of HIOMT gene transcription, with 3-fold higher mRNA levels at midday than at midnight. This transcriptional rhythm was not accompanied by day/night changes in HIOMT concentration, probably due to a slow turnover of this protein. Unexpected darkness did not prevent the daytime rise in HIOMT mRNA levels, whereas unexpected light prevented the night-time fall in HIOMT mRNA levels. Together, the data would suggest that the day/night rhythm of HIOMT gene transcription in the chicken pineal gland involves both a response to light and the activity of a biological oscillator.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bernard
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie et Neuroendocrinologie Cellulaires, URA CNRS 290
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N-acetyltransferase and melatonin levels in the optic lobe of giant freshwater prawns, Macrobrachium rosenbergii de man. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1992. [DOI: 10.1016/0300-9629(92)90727-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Guerlotté J, Voisin P, Bernard M, Brisson P, Falcón J, Blasquez JL, Collin JP. Long-term effects of constant light or darkness on chicken pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase expression: biochemical and cellular aspects. Cell Mol Neurobiol 1992; 12:177-84. [PMID: 1600555 DOI: 10.1007/bf00713371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
1. Chickens kept in constant light, as opposed to constant darkness, display a twofold increase in the activity of pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT), the last acting enzyme in the melatonin pathway. 2. Using an immunological approach, we presently show that this regulation of HIOMT activity reflects changes in the concentration of a single molecular form of the enzyme protein (a 38 kDa polypeptide). Immunohistofluorescence indicates that these concentration changes concurrently affect modified photoreceptors and pinealocyte-like cells in the chicken pineal organ. 3. Together, the present data support the hypothesis that environmental lighting might regulate the expression of the HIOMT gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Guerlotté
- Laboratoire de Neurobiologie, URA CNRS No. 290, Poitiers, France
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Chaudhuri S, Maiti BR. Pineal activity during the seasonal gonadal cycle in a wild avian species, the tree pie (Dendrocitta vagabunda). Gen Comp Endocrinol 1989; 76:346-9. [PMID: 2583467 DOI: 10.1016/0016-6480(89)90128-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present investigation was to study the pineal activity during the seasonal gonadal cycle in both sexes of the Indian tree pie (Dendrocitta vagabunda). The findings revealed that the nuclear diameter of the pineal parenchymal cells moderately decreased and was followed by a moderate increase in the cell population density (per microscopic field of the pineal sections) and serotonin content of the gland during the progressive phase. The values of these parameters were further altered (decreased nuclear diameter with increased cell population density and serotonin level) during breeding but were reversibly altered to some extent during the regression phase, and further altered during the nonbreeding phase in both sexes of the birds. It is suggested that the pineal activity distinctly varies with the seasonal gonadal cycle, being minimum during breeding and maximum during nonbreeding in both sexes of the tree pie.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Chaudhuri
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, India
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Templer DI, Veleber DM, Brooner RK. Geophysical variables and behavior: VI. Lunar phase and accident injuries: a difference between night and day. Percept Mot Skills 1982; 55:280-2. [PMID: 7133914 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1982.55.1.280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
There was an excess of injuries during the full and new moons in hours of darkness, but either a deficit or no significant difference occurred during these phases in daylight hours. Implications for research were suggested, and conjecture regarding explanations for the apparent dark-light interaction with phase of moon were offered.
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22
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Johnson AL, Foss DC, Carew LB. Effect of selected light treatments on pineal weight and lipid content in the cockerel (Gallus domesticus). Poult Sci 1982; 61:128-34. [PMID: 7088776 DOI: 10.3382/ps.0610128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of early and prolonged exposure of growing cockerels to selected photoperiods and wavelengths of light on pineal gland weight and lipid composition was investigated. The six treatments included 14L:10D white (control), 24L:OD white, OL:24D dark, and 14L:10D narrow-band blue, green or red light. Pineal gland fresh and dry weights were greatest under the white light treatment and least under the dark and red treatments. Examination of histological preparations and biochemical analysis both indicated that the absence of light depleted pineal lipid. When expressed as a percent of dry tissue weight, lipid from the colored light treatments was significantly greater than from the control. We conclude that both the photoperiod and the wavelength of light are capable of influencing pineal gland lipid metabolism in the cockerel.
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Leonhardt VH. Ependym und Circumventriculäre Organe. HANDBUCH DER MIKROSKOPISCHEN ANATOMIE DES MENSCHEN 1980. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-81358-0_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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24
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Haim A, Saarela S, Hissa R. Photoperiodicity and the thermoregulatory response to noradrenaline in the pigeon. J Therm Biol 1979. [DOI: 10.1016/0306-4565(79)90032-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Baker PC, Hoff KM, Buda RE. The effects of exogenous melatonin upon the gut of larval Xenopus laevis. GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY 1978; 9:431-2. [PMID: 310409 DOI: 10.1016/0306-3623(78)90029-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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26
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Binkley S, Stephens JL, Riebman JB, Reilly KB. Regulation of pineal rhythms in chickens: photoperiod and dark-time sensitivity. Gen Comp Endocrinol 1977; 32:411-6. [PMID: 902973 DOI: 10.1016/0016-6480(77)90222-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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27
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Benelbaz GA, Piezzi RS, Lynch HJ. Hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) and melatonin in the pineal gland of the antarctic penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae and P. papua). Gen Comp Endocrinol 1976; 30:43-6. [PMID: 992328 DOI: 10.1016/0016-6480(76)90064-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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29
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Woodward WD, Fisher JR. A possible role for melatonin in regulation of chick liver xanthine dehydrogenase activity. Arch Biochem Biophys 1976; 173:389-91. [PMID: 1259441 DOI: 10.1016/0003-9861(76)90274-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Parathyroids, Ultimobranchial Glands, and the Pineal. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1976. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-96274-5_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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31
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Fitch DD. Oxygen consumption in the prosobranch snail Viviparus contectoides (mollusca: gastropoda)--III. Effects of light. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. A, COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 1976; 54:253-7. [PMID: 4278 DOI: 10.1016/s0300-9629(76)80107-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Skoczylas R, Sidorkiewicz E. Studies on the blood sugar level in the grass snake (Natrix natrix L.). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. A, COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 1974; 48:439-56. [PMID: 4151824 DOI: 10.1016/0300-9629(74)90726-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Pang SF, Ralph CL, Reilly DP. Melatonin in the chicken brain: its origin, diurnal variation, and regional distribution. Gen Comp Endocrinol 1974; 22:499-506. [PMID: 4829477 DOI: 10.1016/0016-6480(74)90026-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Wainwright SD. Course of the increase in hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activity in the pineal gland of the chick embryo and young chick. J Neurochem 1974; 22:193-6. [PMID: 4818870 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1974.tb12200.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Oishi T, Lauber JK. Effect of light and darkness on pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyl transferase (HIOMT) in Japanese quail. Life Sci 1973; 13:1105-16. [PMID: 4762601 DOI: 10.1016/0024-3205(73)90378-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Ueck M. Fluoreszenzmikroskopische und elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen am Pinealorgan verschiedener Vogelarten. Cell Tissue Res 1973. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00307048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Ebels I, Balemans MG, Verkley AJ. Separation of pineal extracts on Sephadex G-10. II. A spectrofluorimetric and thinlayer chromatographic study of indoles in a sheep pineal extract. JOURNAL OF NEURO-VISCERAL RELATIONS 1972; 32:270-81. [PMID: 5025762 DOI: 10.1007/bf02327925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Balemans MG. Age-dependent effects of 5-methoxytryptophol and melatonin on testes and comb growth of the white leghorn (Gallus domesticus L.). J Neural Transm (Vienna) 1972; 33:179-94. [PMID: 4642374 DOI: 10.1007/bf01245316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Oksche A, Kirschstein H, Kobayashi H, Farner DS. Electron microscopic and experimental studies of the pineal organ in the white-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ZELLFORSCHUNG UND MIKROSKOPISCHE ANATOMIE (VIENNA, AUSTRIA : 1948) 1972; 124:247-74. [PMID: 4335080 DOI: 10.1007/bf00335683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Pelhem RW, Ralph CL. Pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) in the chicken: Effect of diurnal lighting and substrate concentration. Life Sci 1972. [DOI: 10.1016/0024-3205(72)90151-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Baker PC, Hoff KM, Clise RL. The effects of light and dark backgrounds upon indoleamine enzymes in developing Xenopus laevis. COMPARATIVE AND GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY 1971; 2:397-401. [PMID: 5317388 DOI: 10.1016/0010-4035(71)90035-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Wells JW. Steroids in the pineal gland of the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus): cholesterol and its biosynthesis. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. B, COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY 1971; 40:723-31. [PMID: 5133342 DOI: 10.1016/0305-0491(71)90147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Rosner JM, Cardinali DP. Direct effect of light on duck pineal explants. LIFE SCIENCES. PT. 2: BIOCHEMISTRY, GENERAL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1971; 10:1065-9. [PMID: 5130710 DOI: 10.1016/0024-3205(71)90301-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Barfuss DW, Ellis LC. Seasonal cycles in melatonin synthesis by the pineal gland as related to testicular function in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 1971; 17:183-93. [PMID: 5559132 DOI: 10.1016/0016-6480(71)90166-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Quay WB. Factors in the measurement of pineal acetylserotonin methyltransferase activity in the lizard Sceloporus occidentalis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 1971; 17:220-6. [PMID: 5559133 DOI: 10.1016/0016-6480(71)90169-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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48
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Hedlund L, Ralph CL, Chepko J, Lynch HJ. A diurnal serotonin cycle in the pineal body of Japanese quail: photoperiod phasing and the effect of superior cervical ganglionectomy. Gen Comp Endocrinol 1971; 16:52-8. [PMID: 5542996 DOI: 10.1016/0016-6480(71)90207-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Hafeez MA, Quay WB. Pineal acetylserotonin methyltransferase activity in the teleost fishes, Hesperoleucus symmetricus and Salmo gairdneri, with evidence for lack of effect of constant light and darkness. COMPARATIVE AND GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY 1970; 1:257-62. [PMID: 5527562 DOI: 10.1016/0010-4035(70)90018-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Quay W, Bennett E, Rosenzweig M, Krech D. Effects of isolation and environmental complexity on brain and pineal organ. Physiol Behav 1969. [DOI: 10.1016/0031-9384(69)90143-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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